


Right Reason, Wrong Route.

by Katef



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 00:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13776264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katef/pseuds/Katef
Summary: Hurrying back to Jim, Blair takes a risky shortcut.  Silly boy!





	Right Reason, Wrong Route.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sentinel Bingo 2018   
> Prompt - 'Flat Tire'

**Prompt: Flat Tyre.**   


“Oh, man! Not now. I can’t believe this! And here, of all places!” Blair railed at both his karma and himself as he stared disconsolately at the Volvo’s very flat front tyre. He would have kicked the vehicle in petulant frustration if he hadn’t have been so fond of the classic, but in all honesty, he was forced to admit that this was really his own fault. His fault that he was stuck here in probably one of the worst neighbourhoods in Cascade’s downtown. Running his fingers through his hair in agitation, he anxiously considered his plight, wondering how on earth he was going to escape from it unscathed. 

In hindsight, it had been monumentally stupid to risk using this route as a shortcut, but since the departmental soiree had overrun far longer than expected, and he was eager to get home to his new lover, he hadn’t thought twice. But he should have known better. As Jim was wont to say, if shit was going to happen in Cascade, Blair was sure to find himself at the bottom of the whole stinking heap. It was what it was, and hooking up with a sentinel cop hadn’t improved his luck. Just the likelihood of getting rescued before too much harm befell him. 

Sighing, Blair berated himself anew for not remembering to check his spare also. He’d forgotten – or rather, conveniently ignored the fact - that the one he still carried was not only just as flat, but bald to boot. It hadn’t been replaced after the last breakdown, but although he cursed himself now, he did have something of an excuse to fall back on. Impoverished grad student as he was, he tended to spend his meagre income on more important stuff like, say, food; and there was no way he’d ask Jim for a loan. Geez, the guy was letting Blair live at his place virtually rent-free as it was, and just because they had had the good fortune to finally ‘discover’ each other a mere couple of weeks ago didn’t mean that Blair was going to abuse the privilege and mooch off his new lover despite Jim’s protestations. Blair did have his pride after all. 

But right now his pride sucked. He was going to have to do something, and soon, before the less hospitable residents of this neighbourhood discovered him. And if that meant grovelling, then he’d do it. But he was still reluctant to call Jim at this time of night. The poor guy had been on stakeout for three nights in a row; along with his faithful sidekick, it had to be said; and tonight he had intended to catch up on some well-earned rest. Which is why he had declined to accompany Blair to tonight’s Rainier University Anthropology Society social event. 

And of course the fact that it involved a load of boring academics wouldn’t have had anything to do with that decision, no sir! But if Blair wanted to continue to burn the candle at both ends, well, who was Jim to stop him? 

However, right this minute Blair was fervently wishing that Jim might have tried a bit harder to dissuade him, even if his absence would undoubtedly have been noted by his department head and held against him along with all those other black marks. If he hadn’t been so stubborn, he could be cuddled up in Jim’s warm bed, wrapped securely in the big cop’s powerful arms right now…. 

“Stop it, Blair! Stop with the pity party, you putz!” he scolded himself. “You just have to bite the bullet and call Jim. And pray that he’ll ride to the rescue a.s.a.p. 

“And if he tears you a new one afterwards, then it’s your own fault!” 

Furtively glancing around him to make sure that the coast was still clear, he pulled out his cell phone, immensely relieved to find that at least something was going right for him, and that the instrument was fully charged for once. Now if only he could get a signal… 

Yes! There it was, and it was connecting. To be answered after the first ring. _Uh oh, Jim must have been anticipating my call. I think I’m in deep shit!_

“Sandburg? Chief? Where are you? Do you know what time it is?” 

“Er, yes, Jim. It’s after midnight, and I’m…um…stuck in Grosvenor East--” 

_“WHAT!_ What the fuck are you doing there, Chief? Do you _want_ to get attacked? What possessed you--” 

“Jim! _JIM!_ Please, man, I’m sorry, OK? But can we please have this argument once I’m safely back at the loft?” Blair couldn’t disguise the very real anxiety he was feeling, and Jim could hear it. 

“OK. Try and stay calm, Chief. Where exactly are you? What street?” 

Blair looked around him and muttered, “I’m on 6th and Mason. Beside a derelict warehouse.” 

“I’ll be there as quickly as I can babe. I’ll call it in, but I’ll probably get there before a unit does. Meanwhile, stay in the car, lock the doors, and pray that the local gangstas are having an early night, OK? And keep your phone on!” 

“You got it, Jim, and thanks, lover.” 

Blair did as he was told, and slumped down in his seat, trying not to make any unnecessary movements in an attempt to stay invisible. He muttered all his favourite mantras in an effort to keep calm, but it wasn’t really working, especially when he thought he saw movements in the shadows of the nearest alleyway. 

_Oh, gods! Not now! Please, Jim, hurry up! I think I’ve been spotted!_

He wasn’t wrong, and seconds later three youths wearing the colours of one of the local gangs emerged from the alley and sauntered arrogantly towards him. Blair flicked a nervous glance at the sneering face that appeared at his window, swallowing heavily at the cruel glint in the hard eyes. This guy was undoubtedly the head honcho, and by his build and posture, Blair could well believe he’d earned it the hard way. As his sycophants sniggered nastily, he rapped peremptorily on the window. 

“Yo, white boy! What’re you doin’ in our ‘hood? Didn’t no one tell you this our turf, man? Now, open this door and give me the car keys, and we might just let you walk!” 

Although he was terrified, there was no way Blair was going to comply. For one, he didn’t believe for a second that the guy would let him go, and two, he wasn’t giving up the Volvo without a fight. He just had to pray that Jim would turn up before it got really nasty. Which suddenly looked like a distinct possibility as one of the thugs pulled a tyre iron from inside his coat while a wicked-looking semi auto pistol materialised in the leader’s hand. 

_Oh, Jim, I’m so sorry!_ Blair thought, convinced the end was nigh. _I so didn’t want you to find me like this!_

He wrapped his arms protectively around his head as the thug smashed the side window with the butt of his handgun, but even as a meaty hand reached in to unlock the door and drag Blair from his seat, a screech of brakes accompanied by flashing lights and siren blaring announced the arrival of the cavalry. In the form of one very pissed off and protective sentinel. 

Appearing like an avenging angel to the three gangstas, and to Blair like his own personal guardian version, Jim leapt from his truck, gun in hand as he advanced threateningly on the scene. 

“Cascade PD! Freeze, you assholes!” he snarled, the expression on the sentinel’s face promising a violent and messy death for anyone who dared touch his mate. 

The three bad boys exchanged a frightened glance, then fled into the shadows like the hounds of hell were on their heels. 

Watching their panicked flight, Jim sent out his hearing, waiting until he was certain that they were some distance away before closing in on the Volvo and his shaky guide. 

“You OK, Chief? He didn’t hurt you?” he asked worriedly, automatically scanning the vicinity for further signs of trouble. 

“N…no, man. You arrived just in time, Jim,” Blair replied, trying to offer a reassuring grin which fell sadly short of its intention. 

Knowing that this was no place to let their guard down at all, Jim nodded briskly, still on full alert. 

“Good. That’s good, Sandburg, but this is no place to hang around. Grab all your stuff and your car keys, and let’s get out of here. We’ll have to leave the Volvo, Chief, but there’s nothing I can do about it until morning. We can get it towed then.” 

They both knew that there was a good possibility that it would either have been stolen or trashed by then, but it couldn’t be helped, and right then Blair was simply happy to be alive and in one piece. 

He would undoubtedly lament its loss later on, if the worst came to the worst, but in the meantime all he wanted to do was to get back to the loft and the security of his sentinel lover’s territory.  


\------------------------  


The drive back to the loft was undertaken in stony silence, with a nervous Blair casting frequent sideways glances at his steely-eyed but internally simmering partner. He knew he was about to receive the full weight of his lover’s wrath once they got home, especially as he noted the constant twitching of muscle in the strong jaw, which indicated just how pissed Jim was. But he knew he deserved it, only hoping and praying that it didn’t presage the breakup of a relationship that already meant more to him than anything else in the world. 

Suddenly, Jim’s cell phone rang, and he answered it brusquely, still not deigning to acknowledge his skittish passenger. 

“Ellison! You are? That’s good. OK. Do your best. Thanks again, Officer Kaczynski. And from Sandburg too. Talk to you later.” 

Not being able to hear the other side of the brief exchange, Blair could only surmise its import, but he hoped that it meant that the unit had arrived on scene and that the Volvo was still there. Later he was to learn that he had guessed correctly, with the additional bonus information that the patrolman had promised Jim that he and his partner would do their best to keep an eye on the vehicle until the tow truck arrived, although they weren’t promising anything. 

But soon all such thoughts were pushed aside as the truck pulled into its usual parking spot outside 852 Prospect, and Blair’s concentration was focussed entirely on self-preservation. 

Exiting the truck, Jim practically frog-marched his hapless guide into the elevator and thence along the corridor to #307, but for once Blair had the common sense not to complain. Under other circumstances he would never let such an indignity go unchallenged, but this time he knew he was guilty of unnecessarily upsetting Jim, so he accepted it as contritely as he could. 

He had barely stepped over the threshold when he was seized, spun around to face his furious partner, and gripped by the upper arms, to be shaken until he honestly thought his teeth would actually rattle. 

Eyes flashing like cold fire, Jim hissed, “Don’t you ever- _ever_ –do that again, Sandburg! You’ve done some stupid stuff since I’ve known you, but that was downright imbecilic! Did you even pause to think what could have happened to you? 

“Or what would happen to me if you managed to get yourself hurt or killed for such an unnecessarily stupid stunt like that? 

“Well, _did_ you?” 

Suddenly, and even before Blair could utter a word in his own defence, Jim seemed to deflate with a whooshing sigh. 

“Christ, Chief, you scared the living shit out of me, babe. I love you so much, you selfish, unthinking little prick! I’d die without you. Don’t you realise that yet?” And the depth of pain in the cornflower blue eyes was more than Blair could stand. 

Instead of retaliating with indignation regarding his treatment; or some half-assed obfuscation about his actions as he had intended; he was cut to the quick to see the defeat and weariness in his lover’s face. He couldn’t prevent the tears of contrition that spilled slowly down his cheeks as he replied, voice thick and choked by guilt. 

“I’m so sorry, Jim. Truly, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just didn’t think. I mean, I do realise now how stupid it was to take that route, but I wanted to get home. To get back to you as soon as I could. 

“I guess I should have realised that with my luck, if something was going to go wrong, it would. 

“I’m so sorry. I never seem to be able to get anything right. I wouldn’t blame you if you decided that it’s just not worth it, and that I’m too much of a screw-up and a liability to put up with. 

“I…if you want me to go, I’ll understand, man,” and he tailed off, his wide eyes telegraphing his penitence even as he begged for forgiveness. 

For a long moment they just stared at each other, too emotionally overwrought to speak, but then Jim reached out again, this time to draw an unresisting Blair into his arms. They clung together for some while, offering and receiving reassurances of mutual well-being, when Jim whispered into a curl covered ear, “Don’t go, babe. I’ll never ask that of you. I just can’t bear to see you put yourself at risk like that. I need you, Chief, alive and whole.” 

Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat, Blair pushed himself away a little, but only enough so he could look up into his lover’s weary face. 

“Thank you, Jim. For everything. I know I’ve been stupid, believe me. And I so didn’t mean to cause you pain. It’s just that I’m really new to this commitment stuff. I’ve never had anything like this before. A home, and someone who really cares for me. Cares _about_ me. It takes some getting used to. 

“But if you can be patient with me, I’ll try to learn. To be more thoughtful in future of your feelings, and about the consequences of my actions. I probably won’t get it right all the time, but I promise I’ll work on it.” 

Jim smiled softly down into his guide’s beautiful face, reading the sincerity in his steady gaze. 

“That’s all I need to know, babe. And now, if it’s OK with you, I’m for bed. Coming?” and he held his hand out in invitation. 

A wide smile now wreathing his face, Blair grabbed the offered appendage with alacrity. 

“You betcha, lover! I’m so down with that! Lead on!” 

So Jim did.  


**The End.**


End file.
